GCSE results to be published on Thursday irishnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from irishnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
More than half a million UK teenagers will pick up their results - and almost a quarter of a million fewer entries are expected to get at least a 7, or A , compared with last year.
As hundreds of thousands of UK pupils get results, the plunge in top grades will affect an estimated 75,000 - with about 50,000 fewer getting at least a basic pass in six GCSEs.